Motor attachment for bicycles.



G. BELZ.

MOTOR ATTACHMENT FOR BICYGLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.17, 1908 Patented July 27, 1909; 2 SHEETS- 111121 1.

' IN VEN TOR WITNESSES: 0mm 6b.

ATTORNEY/6' G. BELZ.

MOTOR ATTACHMENT FOR BICYCLE-S. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1'7I 1908.

Patented July 27. 1909.v

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- X 4 Fig.2. 8 Q 8 24 25 27 1514 g 28 304135 3 23 a0 Q 31 Ww $1? s? 3 18 22. E 1 l2 Mafia; l V 6. ML, 1% 36 WITNESSES: IN VENTOR amma x Miw GOTTLOB BELZ, or DETROIT, MIOHIGAN.

MOTOR ATTACHMENT son BICYCLES.

Application filed August 17, 1908; Serial No. 448,906.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July '27, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GOTTLOB BELZ, a citizen oi the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State well, as the necessary reduction in speed between the motor and wheel. This is accomplished either by placing an. extra .belt or chain run on the rear wheel, or more freq-uently, by holding a rotating drum or roller in frictional engagement with the tire tread itself. The former is impracticable owing to the necessity of changing the wheel frame to accommodate the extra rim. The latter causes injury to the tire as it slips and burns the tire in spots when the motor is-started, or else wears into it, cutting away the tread.

This invention relates to a" motor attachment for bicycles wherein power is applied directly to the rear tire by means which prevent cutting or burning or other like in ury to the tire.

The invention consistsin the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View in elevation of a bicycle equipped with a motor attachment embodying features of the in vention. Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal section of atransmission roller and clutch. Fig. 3 is a view in section on line ac-a: of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a view in detail of a clutch releasing member or trip. Fig. 5is an end view of the transmission mechanism showing means for operating the clutch release.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a bicycle of standard type on which a motor 2 herein shown of the internal combustion ty )0 is removably secured, as by clips 3. A yo ke 4 is detachably fastened to the rear forks 5 of the bicycle as by clips and bolts 6, above the rear wheel 7, with its arms 8 proj ectiug forward. A spindle 9 extends through apertures near thearm ends, and nuts 10 engaging its screw-threaded ends, hold 1t in place. dle between end thrust bearings forme by A sleeve '11 is journaled on the s )inball-cups 12 longitudinally adjustable on the spindle and balls 13 between them and the beveled ends of the sleeve. A drive or sprocket wheel 14 is suitably secured on the sleeve near one end as by being screwthreaded on a flange 15 on the sleeve against a shoulder 16, a check-collar 17 having screwthreaded engagement with a reduced part of the collar holding the wheel against. dis placement.

' A'pair of friction rings 18'and 19 with their margins rabbeted toward the flange 15, are adjustably' secured by sets of bolts 20 and 21 passing through the rings and flange, with tightening nuts 22 and check nuts 23 whereby the rings may be independently drawn as tightly to the flange as desired.

inner clutch collar 24 is concentrically adjusted on the friction ring 18, and a similar one 25 is likewise secured on the outerring 19, the inner margins .of the collars being reversely rabbeted to mate the ring margins, whereby the collars may be frictionally gripped by the rings and with more or less force according to the degree to which the adjusting bolts 20 and 21 are set up.

A hollow roller built u of rings 26 of cork, leather, fiber. or the li e, or of cork and leather alternating as herein indicate-d, clamped between circular end pieces 27 and 28 by a series of bolts 29, is journaled on the sleeve between the friction ring 19 and an outer ball thrust bearing; The latter is made up, preferably, of an inner cup 30, an outer cone 31 and interposed balls 32. This bearing is carried by a tubular slide 33 which also carries the end piece 28. The slide 33 is reciprocable, so that it maybe moved toward the clutch rings by' a suitable trip ring 34 riding on the ball cup 12 and having wings 35 with oblique faces 36 which cam against the inner side of the adjacent yokearm 8 and extended end thereof when turned as by a lever 37, link 38 and rock arm 39 conveniently disposed for the rider. The inturned-euds 40 of the Wings bear against a thrust collar 41 abutting the cone 31 and serew-threaded into the rim of the ball cup 30. A s )ring 42 in compression between the inner ent of the slide and a-stop 43 adjustablysecured on the sleeve, whereby the spring tension may be varied, rojects the de when the trip is releasei or turned clear of the yoke.

A number of clutch pins 44 parallel to the sleeve are secured at one end to a flange 45- on the end of the slide within the'collar, and

,co ar apertures.

slide through guide apertures in the roller end piece 27, and are adapted to enter apertures in the friction collars and 24 when the latter turn into alinement with the ins. There may be any number of sets 0 the clutch drive members or friction rings, and their followers, or clutch collars, proportionate to the work to be done. The -drive wheel 14 and alined motor wheel 46 are operatively connected as by a sprocket chain 47, al-

though, obviously, agear train, bevel gear shaft drive or other means may be'us'edn In operation, the mechanism is placed on a bicycle with the roller in running contact with the tread of the rear tirel With the clutch disengaged, the bicycle may be driven by the pedals in the usual way. Or the motor may be started and by turning the clutch tri the pins first enter the outer clutch This rotates the collar which slips through the friction rings but gradually starts the roller, the friction ring. pressure being adjusted so that the roller will not slip 'on the tire, but causei t to gradually turn, '1 The pins are then pushed into locking engagement with the second collar as the speed increases, so that added torque is given the roller until, under increasing momentum, the roller finally rotates in uni- 'son with the sprocket. 13v this arrangesired, an

ment, the tire is not burned or flattened in spots, the friction members slip ing instead 0 the roller, so that there is no amage done the tire. The friction elements ma be adjusted to ick up motion as gradual y'as de- .in case of any sudden, positive stopping of the bicycle, they give without permitting the roller'to turn or slide on the tire.

The mechanism," While especially adaptable for attachment to a bicycle, is very effective in any transmission system where it isadvisable to prevent sudden stoppage or checking of any member of the train. I

Obviously, changes in the details of construction may be made Without de arting I do not care to limit myself to any particular form or arran ement of parts. a Whatil claim as my invention is Y 1. The combination ofya bicycle, 'with a motor ada ted to be detachably secured to the bicyc e 'frame, a rotatable member adapted to be secured in rolling contact with a tire of the bicycle, a friction clutch having a set of drive members positively coupled to the motor, 'a'set of follower members each in frictional engagement with a drive member and means adapted to detachablfy interlock the rotatable member with one or more of the follower members, and means positively 4 ioupling the motor and clutch drive memers I g I 2. The combination of a bicycle .with a yoke adapted to be detachably secured to the bicycle frame, a roller journaled therein in. peripheral contact with a wheel tread, a

and the follower members, and vmeans de-- tachably secured on the bicycle adapted to rotate the clutch drive members.

3. In a motor attachment for bicycles, a yoke adapted to be. detachably secured to the frame of a'bicycle, a spindle secured therein, a sleeve journaled on the spindle, drive rings secured on the sleeve, collars each in frictional engagement with a ring, a roller j ournaled on the sleeve, means inthe roller-ada ted to interlock with one or more ofthe coil sleeve.

4. In a motor attachment for bicycles, a yoke adapted to be detachably secured to the frame of a bicycle,,a spindle secured therein, a sleeve journaled on the spindle, friction rings non-'rotatably secured on the ars,'and means for rotating the. i

sleeve, friction collars each concentrically secured on a ring with its inner margin hav-- 5. In a motor attachment'for bicycles, a

yoke adapted to be detachably secured to the frame of a bicycle, a spindle secured therein,

a sleeve journaled on the spindle, a flange near one end of the sleeve, friction rings each secured'on the sleeve by bolts passing therefrom through the flange, friction collars each concentrically secured on a ring with its inner margin having lateral frictional engagement with the outer marginal portion of the ring, a roller j ournaled on the sleeve adjacent the rings, means adapted to detachably interlock the roller with one or more of the collars, and means for rotating the sleeve.

6; In a motor attachment for bicycles, a yoke adapted to be detachably secured to the frame of a bicycle, a spindle secured therein, a sleeve journaled on the spindle, a flange near one end of the sleeve, frlction rings each from through the 'flangeand each having a rabbeted outer rim, a friction collar concentrically secured on each ring having an inner rabbeted eripheral margin mating the ring rim, a rol er journaled in the sleeve adjacent the rings, means adapted to detachably interlock the roller with one or more of the collars, and means for rotating the sleeve.

7. The combination with the frame and Wheels of a bicycle of a motor adapted to be detachably secured to the frame, a yoke detachably secured to the frame near one of the wheels, a roner ournaled in the yoke in roll- .ing contact with the wheel tread, a clutch journaled in the yoke having drive members- 8. The combination with the frame and wheels of abicycle ofva motor on the frame, a

yoketheron, a clutch sleeve rotatable in the yoke, a flange on the sleeve, a drive wheel secured ont e flange, friction rings on the sleeve having rabbeted outer rims, adjustable means. independently securing each ring'to 'jace'nt the rings,

wheels of a bicycle, of a motoron the frame,

the flange, friction collars each concentrically secured on a ring and provided withan inner rabbeted periph'eral margin mating with the ring rim, a'ro er journaled in the sleeve adadapted to enter apertures in the collars, a

slide longitudinally re'ciprocable on the sleeve eng ed by the eiide, and. rivingconnections between 7 ms, a trip adapted to move the the motor and sleeve drive wheel.

9. The combination with the frame and runs, a set ofbolts adjusta 1y apertured friction colvmgan innerrabbetedmar tween the stop an ring oscillatory on the spindle the slide toward the ring clutch pins longitudinally reciprocable in the roller parallel to the sleeve ayoke on the frame, a spindle in the yoke, a clutch sleeve rotatable on the spindle between end thrust ball bearings, a flange on the sleeve, a drive wheel thereon, friction rings on the sleeve ha outer rabbeted securing each ring to the flange, an lar on each a gin mating wit the ring run, a hollow roller in contact with a wheeltread havin one apiertured end piece journaled' on the's eeve a jacent the s, a tubular slide on the sleeve-extending t roughthe other end piece of the roller, clutch pins secured at one end to the slide, extending thro hthe apertures in the adjacent roller end ails adapted'to'enter the collar apertures, an adjustable-stop on the sleeve, as ring in' compression be.- sli e adapted to project the slide, a tri between the s 'de and yoke adapted to move s when turned, means on the'frame for turning' the trip, and

driving connections between the sleeve drive wheel and motor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

7 GOTTLOB BELZL Witnesses: p

O. R. STIOKNEY, A; M. DORE. 

